Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork With Pineapple

This crock pot sweet and sour pork is a classic combination of pork strips, pineapple, and bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. The brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar sauce is thickened with cornstarch.

Serve this sweet and sour pork over hot cooked rice or Asian-style noodles. For a super easy dinner, serve them with ramen noodles or microwave "ready" rice. Or serve the sweet and sour pork with cauliflower rice or zucchini or summer squash noodles to keep carbs to a minimum. Use frozen cauliflower rice or see the instructions below for how to make cauliflower rice with fresh cauliflower.

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, 3/4 cup pineapple juice (add water to make 3/4 cup if necessary), vinegar, water, soy sauce, and salt; blend until smooth and pour over pork and vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW setting for about 8 hours, or until the pork is tender.

Add pineapple chunks about 45 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Serve the chicken and sauce with hot cooked rice, if desired.

Tips and Variations

Add a teaspoon or more of chili garlic paste (sambal) to the sauce mixture for a little heat, or add about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Make this with strips of chicken thighs or beef strips.

How to Make and Cook Cauliflower Rice

Wash a head of cauliflower and pat dry. Quarter the cauliflower. Grate the cauliflower using a food grater or pulse in a food processor with cutting blade. Discard tough stems. The pieces should be roughly the size of rice grains.

Saute in 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil or butter for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Or put the cauliflower rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or melted butter and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on 100% power for about 3 minutes.